Nakhijevan
Last updated: May 29, 2026
Nakhijevan is an Azerbaijani exclave separated from Azerbaijan proper by Armenian territory and bordered by Turkey to the northwest, Iran to the south, and Armenia to the north and east. For centuries it was home to a significant Armenian population and contains some of the oldest Armenian cultural and religious monuments in the world, including the ancient Khachkar cemetery of Agulis and the medieval monastery of Tsghna. Over the course of the Soviet period and especially following the collapse of the USSR, the Armenian population of Nakhijevan was progressively displaced — from roughly 40,000 in the late Soviet era to virtually zero by the early 1990s. The medieval Armenian cemetery of Jugha (Djulfa), which contained thousands of ornate khachkars, was systematically destroyed by Azerbaijani authorities between 1998 and 2005.
The exclave’s disconnection from Azerbaijan proper is the primary driver of Azerbaijan’s and Turkey’s demand for a transit corridor through Armenia’s Syunik province — the so-called Zangezur Corridor — which would provide a land link between Baku and Nakhijevan without crossing Armenian-controlled territory. A direct overland corridor would connect Turkey and Azerbaijan in a continuous route, fulfilling a key pan-Turkic connectivity objective. For Iran, such a corridor would sever its direct land border with Armenia, raising significant concerns in Tehran about encirclement and regional access.
Groong covers Nakhijevan in the context of the corridor dispute, the erasure of its Armenian heritage, and the strategic geometry of the South Caucasus. Episodes in this category address how Nakhijevan’s history and geographic isolation shape Azerbaijani and Turkish foreign policy objectives and what resolution of the transit dispute would mean for the region.
Rubio Visit, New MPG and IRI Polls, Hidden Votes and Why Are You Alive? | Ep 550, May 24, 2026 [EP550]
Posted on Wednesday, May 27, 2026 | Category: Armenia, Politics, Poll, Armenian Church, Nagorno Karabakh, Armenian Genocide, Azerbaijan, Russia, China | Series: wir, video
Groong Links:
Topics:
- Rubio’s sudden Armenia visit
- Polls diverge before election
- Hidden vote raises questions
- TRIPP remains deeply polarizing
- “Western Azerbaijan” pressure grows
- Opposition faces arrests, threats
- “Why are you alive?” campaign rhetoric
Episode 550 | Recorded: May 25, 2026
#ArmeniaElections #Armenia #NikolPashinyan #TRIPP #ZangezurCorridor #WesternAzerbaijan #ArmenianOpposition
Anna Grigoryan - Armenia Alliance in the 2026 Armenian Parliamentary Election | Ep 544, May 11, 2026 [EP544]
Posted on Monday, May 11, 2026 | Category: Nagorno Karabakh, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Russia, Iran, European Union, Economy, NATO, Human Rights | Series: cog
Groong Links:
Guest(s):
Topics:
- Election campaign and opposition strategy
- EPC, EU-Armenia summit, and foreign influence
- Foreign policy, security, and regional risks
- Domestic priorities and election integrity
Episode 544 | Recorded: May 9, 2026
#AnnaGrigoryan #Armenia #ArmenianPolitics #ArmeniaElections #HayastanDashinq #EPCSummit #TRIPP #Artsakh
Eldar Mamedov - Iran War: The Northern Front | Ep 525, Mar 22, 2026 [EP525]
Posted on Sunday, Mar 22, 2026 | Category: Iran, Politics, Armenia, Israel, USA, Turkey, Azerbaijan, Artsakh, Nagorno Karabakh, Syria, Economy, Genocide, NATO, Russia, Georgia, Middle East | Series: cog, video
Groong Links:
Guest:
Topics:
- Iran at War
- The Northern Front: Turkey & Azerbaijan
- Changing Nakhijevanâs Constitution
Episode 525 | Recorded: March 20, 2026
#GroongPodcast #EldarMamedov #IranWar #Azerbaijan #SouthCaucasus
Varuzhan Geghamyan - Iran War, Zangezur Corridor, Nakhijevan Constitution | Ep 524, Mar 20, 2026 [EP524]
Posted on Friday, Mar 20, 2026 | Category: Politics, Iran, Armenia, Israel, Azerbaijan, USA, Turkey, Artsakh, Geopolitics, Middle East, Nagorno Karabakh, Russia, Syria, China, Economy, Georgia, Ukraine | Series: cog, video
Groong Links:
Guest:
Topics:
- Iran at War
- The Northern Front: Turkey & Azerbaijan
- Changing Nakhichevanâs Constitution
Episode 524 | Recorded: March 19, 2026
#IranWar #VaruzhanGeghamyan #ZangezurCorridor #Syunik #ArmeniaGeopolitics
Arthur Martirosyan - Iran War, Effect on Armenia, June Parliamentary | Ep 522, Mar 15, 2026 [EP522]
Posted on Monday, Mar 16, 2026 | Category: Armenia, Politics, Armenian Church, Ukraine, Iran, Azerbaijan, Israel, USA, Turkey, Russia, Artsakh, Nagorno Karabakh, Armenian Genocide, Genocide, Georgia, Middle East | Series: wir, video
Groong Links:
Guest:
Topics:
- Iran War
- Effect on Armenia
- June Parliamentary Elections
Episode 522 | Recorded: March 16, 2026
Sergei Melkonian - Syria, Iran Unrest, TRIPP, Armenian Parliamentary Elections | Ep 508, Jan 18, 2026 [EP508]
Posted on Tuesday, Jan 20, 2026 | Category: Armenia, Politics, Artsakh, Nagorno Karabakh, Azerbaijan, Turkey, Russia, Syria, Iran, Israel, China, Geopolitics, Middle East, Georgia, Ukraine, Economy, India, European Union | Series: wir, video
Groong Links:
Guest:
Topics:
- Syria, Kurds, Turkish advance
- Iran Unrest, War Postponed
- TRIPP and sovereignty dispute
- 2026 Elections and Foreign Influence
Episode 508 | Recorded: January 19, 2026
#ArmenianNews #Syria #Iran #ZangezurCorridor #TRIPP #Geopolitics
Anna Grigoryan - Armenia’s Political Crisis | Ep 507, Jan 17, 2026 [EP507]
Posted on Saturday, Jan 17, 2026 | Category: Armenia, Artsakh, Elections, Politics, Armenian Church, Nagorno Karabakh, Russia, Iran, Azerbaijan, Turkey, European Union, Economy, Syria, Human Rights, Georgia, Israel, Ukraine | Series: cog, video
Groong Links:
Guest:
Topics:
- Return of Four Hostages
- Pashinyan vs. Church
- TRIPP
- Armenia Parliamentary Election
Episode 507 | Recorded: January 16, 2026
#AnnaGrigoryan #Armenia #ArmenianPolitics #TRIPP #ArmenianChurch #POWs
Arthur Khachatryan - Euronest, Aliyev Transit Move, Gyumri Mayor Arrest, Pashinyan vs. Church | Ep 481, Oct 26, 2025 [EP481]
Posted on Friday, Oct 31, 2025 | Category: Armenia, Politics, Azerbaijan, Armenian Church, Georgia, Turkey, Russia, Artsakh, Nagorno Karabakh, Artsakh Blockade, European Union, Ukraine, NATO | Series: wir
Groong Links:
Guest:
Topics:
- Euronest session takeaways
- Aliyevâs transit move and TRIPP
- Gyumri mayor arrest fallout
- Pashinyanâs push to control the Church
Episode 481 | Recorded: October 29, 2025
Hrant Mikaelian - War on Iran, Russia on TRIPP, New MPG Poll in Armenia, Economy | Ep 471, Sep 7, 2025 [EP471]
Posted on Tuesday, Sep 9, 2025 | Category: Armenia, Politics, Iran, Poll, Azerbaijan, Turkey, Russia, Iran, Armenian Church, Nagorno Karabakh, Armenian Genocide, Economy, Georgia, Israel, Genocide, China, Ukraine, India | Series: wir, video
Groong Links:
Guest:
Topics:
- War in Iran, Chapter 2?
- Russiaâs Stance on TRIPP
- New MPG Poll in Armenia
- Armenian Economy in H1/2025
Episode 471 | Recorded: September 8, 2025